NICK SANCHEZ QUALIFYING FOR THE FOCUSED HEALTH 250 AT ECHOPARK SPEEDWAY IN HAMPTON, GEORGIA ON FRIDAY – MOTORSPORT AMERICA PHOTO
HAMPTON, Ga. (June 28, 2025) – Nick Sanchez conquered the Focused
Health 250 early Saturday morning, overcoming chaos, cautions, and
weather delays to earn his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at
EchoPark Speedway.
The 24-year-old rookie wheeled his No. 48 Big Machine Racing Chevrolet
through a race that was stalled both by cautions and inclement weather,
ultimately holding off Carson Kvapil and Sam Mayer in a spirited spring
to the checkered flag. Kvapil and Mayer finished 2nd and 3rd,
respectively.
“I’m gonna be honest, this is all just a reminder of my 2023 debut
in a truck,” said Sanchez. “I spun and I finished second; this year,
I spun and I won, so that’s awesome.”
Starting 11th, Sanchez methodically worked his way through the field
amidst a race filled with attrition. Several of Sanchez’s competitors
fell out of contention in incidents that caused nine cautions and
constant shuffling of the running order.
Sanchez’s night was not without incident though. A spin on Lap 96
shuffled his No. 48 Chevrolet back in the field. While he wasn’t in
the top mix through the opening two stages, the penultimate caution with
25 laps remaining set the stage for Sanchez’s late-race charge.
He lined up on the front row for the restart and powered into the lead
with 17 to go. Jesse Love and Sanchez swapped the top spot over the next
several laps, racing side-by-side in a thrilling duel. Just as it looked
like Love might seize control of the race, a Lap 153 caution bunched the
field once more and set up a 10-lap dash to the finish.
On the restart, Sanchez held the outside lane with Love to his inside
and Kvapil and Zilisch looming behind. Love briefly cleared the field
for the lead, but Sanchez responded immediately, retaking the lead as
the final laps wound down.
With four laps to go, the field closed in once more. Aric Almirola made
one last charge to the inside, but Sanchez defended the move and began
to stretch his advantage. On the final lap, he pulled away just enough
to survive a final charge from Kvapil, crossing the finish line 0.139
seconds ahead to capture his first Xfinity win and lock himself into the
postseason.
“A weight is lifted off my shoulder, and now we can just go chase
checkered flags,” said Sanchez. “I think we just have super strong
cars here at Big Machine Racing that do a great job at the race track
and I feel like when we come here, it’s not me – I just got it done
tonight, and I’m happy to drive fast cars here.”
Sanchez’s win marks Big Machine Racing’s second Xfinity Series
victory as a team, following Tyler Reddick’s part-time tenure with the
organization in 2022.
Kvapil (No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet), Mayer (No. 41 Haas Factory Team
Ford), Zilisch (No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet) and Gray (No. 54 Joe
Gibbs Racing Toyota) all rounded out the top five. Zilisch’s top-five
finish is his sixth straight in the series.
For fans there’s still one more opportunity this weekend to enjoy
intense side-by-side racing. Tickets are still available for Sunday’s
Quaker State 400 NASCAR Cup Series race at www.EchoParkSpeedway.com [2].
About the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart:
Atlanta’s Night Race returns with the Quaker State 400 Available at
Walmart on Saturday night, June 28, 2025. Sparks will fly as NASCAR’s
best duel under the lights on EchoPark Speedway’s challenging high
banks.
Adding even higher stakes to the weekend is the first running of
NASCAR’s $1 million In-Season Tournament. 32 of NASCAR’s stars will
be paired against each other in a bracket-style elimination tournament
that begins at EchoPark Speedway.
More information on the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart weekend
and ticket availability can be found online at www.EchoParkSpeedway.com
[3].
About EchoPark Speedway:
EchoPark Speedway is a premier entertainment venue located about 30
miles south of Atlanta, Ga.
Since 1960, EchoPark Speedway has been a staple of the NASCAR calendar
and currently hosts two weekends of racing in the spring and fall each
year. When NASCAR isn’t in town, EchoPark Speedway’s versatile
facility hosts an assortment of events that attract visitors from near
and far, from Monster Jam to the Georgia State Fair and everything
between.
For more information on EchoPark Speedway and to see upcoming events at
the facility, visit www.EchoParkSpeedway.com [4].
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